The national seminary, which has educated Irishmen for the priesthood since 1795, may be set for closure after the recent Apostolic Visitation by New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. It is expected the report will recommend that Pope Benedict XVI move all Irish seminarians to a reformed and restructured Pontifical Irish College in Rome.I can imagine that this news won't go down well as many Maynooth graduates won't want to see their Alma Mater closed. It's interesting that the focus of the article is on the academic shortcomings of the Pontifical University. Whether Maynooth had sufficient weight to be considered a viable Pontifical University is something that I've heard quietly discussed for years.
The historic shift would bring an end to concerns about falling academic standards at Maynooth and claims by some that the college in no longer 'fit for mission'. One senior academic told The Irish Catholic that the Apostolic Visitors were ''appalled'' by some of the standards in Maynooth. Rome would give access to heavyweight universities under direct scrutiny from the Vatican.
It is understood the plan would include the Irish College in Rome dramatically reducing the number of non-Irish students enrolled in the seminary to make way for the seminarians from Maynooth.
One wonders what Archbishop Dolan's report will have to say regarding formation in Maynooth and the other Irish seminaries (Rome & Belfast).
Incidentally, speaking of Archbishop Dolan, his St Patrick's Day Letter this year is a very fine reflection on the Sacrament of Confession. I'm loath to quote selectively from it, so go and read the whole thing.
[Anyone want to lay a bet on how quickly the Association of 'Catholic' Priests will be in putting together a whine about Rome suppressing Maynooth?]
Edited to add: The President of Maynooth says the report is 'without foundation'.
6 comments:
The author of this article has a history of not seeing eye to eye with Hugh Connolly, though, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays our.
Ooooo! Just like in the old days--the very old days. Only I guess most Irish seminarians were educated in Spain back then--am I right?
Sad about Maynooth and its long glorious traditions, but if it is irredeemably hippy-dippy, I shall not weep. I hear Rome has lovely weather.
Spain? Yes, but not really most of them. The Irish Colleges spanned the European continent; Paris was prominent (there were more ordinations there than there have been from Maynooth in its entire history), Bordeaux, Louvain/Leuven, Rome etc. The old Catholic gives a fascinating picture of them: tinyurl.com/IrishColleges
The Catholic Encyclopaedia fails to mention that there was even an Irish College as far East as what is now Poland.
Incidentally, I'm sure that Éamonn means that the Irish Catholc journalist is the one who doesn't see 'eye to eye' with Msgr Connolly. I don't think that I've ever meet Hugh Connolly.
FrB is quite right, by the "author of this article" I meant Michael Kelly of the Irish Catholic, rather than anyone else.
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